The ubiquity of cellular phones and similar mobile electronics has led to demands for ever more advanced features in these devices. One feature that is of particular value in such devices is the ability to connect to the Internet and other networks. In near future, many aspects of the global networks such as the World Wide Web will be shifting to cater to mobile device users. The ability of mobile devices to receive data from wherever the user is located will provide additional opportunities to adapt content and increase the value of such content to the end user.
The always-on and always-connected nature of mobile devices makes them particularly useful in the context of commercial transactions. For example, some vending machines are configured so that a mobile phone user can purchase from the vending machine via the mobile phone. Tracking and billing of such transactions can be handled by the mobile phone service provider and third parties. These types of arrangements are useful to both merchants and consumers, because they provide alternate avenues of payment and thereby facilitate additional sales.
In addition to the properties described above, mobile phones are increasingly becoming multimedia devices. For example, it is becoming much more common for mobile phones to include an integrated camera. People are getting used to the fact they are carrying a camera with them, and can always snap a photo whenever they desire. Such devices may be able to capture video and sound and store it in a digitized format.
The ability of mobile devices to interact with the physical world of the user, as well as to interact remotely via networks, means that many new previously unimagined applications will emerge that combine these capabilities. In particular, commercial activities that effectively utilize the ability of a mobile device to determine facts about its current environment may be useful to advertisers and other promoters.